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expand beyond 5,000 cases per year. ���The vineyard operation is where I express my megalomania,��� he joked. ���I want to keep the winery small and tight and family-controlled.��� SPANISH VARIETIES IN LODI Why is Lodi so well-suited to growing Spanish varieties? Watch our exclusive video interview with Markus Bokisch by clicking on the link, https://vimeo.com/54565656 or scanning the QR code with your smartphone. SELLING THE EXPERIENCE The majority of Bokisch Vineyards wines are sold to restaurants, through a distributor, and the remaining 40% are sold direct-toconsumer, through Bokisch���s wine club and a co-op tasting room in downtown Lodi. The wines are reasonably priced at $16-$21 per bottle at retail, which also makes them attractive for by-the-glass sales. ���We���re not focused on trying to create the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold in Lodi,��� Bokisch said. ���That���s not where our heart is.��� ���Our philosophy is to keep our wines within a price range where you can enjoy a bottle on a daily basis,��� Liz Bokisch added. ���That���s the whole thing about Spanish culture ��� to have wine with meals, every day.��� Spanish food is a major component of the Bokisch Vineyards wine club events, which typically sell out at 300 guests. Liz makes all of the food herself, and parties are often held on the patio of the couple���s home. ���The wines get introduced via that entire Spanish experience,��� Markus said. The Bokisches also educate consumers through winemaker dinners. ���Friends tell friends, and suddenly you have all these people who are going out there and trying to taste other albari��os and tempranillos,��� Markus said. Getting more people ��� including other Lodi vintners ��� to embrace Spanish varieties is all part of the Bokisches��� mission. ���Today there are more than 20 wineries in Lodi producing tempranillo,��� Markus said, ���and quite a few doing albari��o, too. People in this area have seen what they perceive to be our success, and they���ve wanted to emulate that. I think that���s a good thing.��� ���For us, it���s ���the more the merrier,������ Liz added. ���Everybody should join in because it helps all of us.��� visit us online vwmmedia.com In addition to running the office for Bokisch Ranches, Liz Bokisch prepares the food for the winery���s Spanish-focused wine club events. Photo: Sam Harnack 46 V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Jan - Feb 2013 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m